Hey Nathan,

Just add a "shameless self-plug" or "* this is my product". I guess it's important to mention that you are advertising "your" product.

I certainly can't speak for the whole crowd but I would approach it like this:

"Rachel - if you'd still like to pursue crowdfunding for open sourcing Fred, email me at [email protected] - we'd love to feature you in a new series we are doing called Kickstarter Redemptions"

Nathan's comment sounded like a genuine suggestion: the focus is on her to be able to utilize an alternative. With yours, the focus is on we'd "love to feature you." Sounds so much more self-serving, and also like impersonal marketing copy. Though, as with you, I cannot speak for the whole crowd.

I don't see any decrease in the smarminess of your approach.